“God is with me, I have no fear; what can people do to me?” (Psalms 118:6) The ‘people’ ment...

Elul Hallel Fourth Paragraph

Written by Machberes Avodas Hashem

“I will raise the cup of salvations and the Name of God I will invoke.” (Psalms 116:13) The Talmud (Pesachim 119b) offers a remarkable explanation of this verse: R. ‘Avira lectured, Sometimes stating it in R. Ammi's,
Sometimes in R. Assi's name: What is meant by, “And the child grew, and was weaned [va-yiggamel]?(Genesis 21:8) The Holy One, blessed be He, will make a great banquet for the righteous on the day He manifests [yigmol] His love to the seed of Isaac.

After they have eaten and drunk, the cup of Grace will be offered to our father Abraham, that he should recite Grace, but he will answer them, ‘I cannot say Grace, because Ishmael issued from me.’

Then Isaac will be asked, ‘Take it and say Grace.’ ‘I cannot say Grace,’ he will reply, ‘because Esau issued from me.’

Then Jacob will be asked: ‘Take it and say Grace.’ ‘I cannot say Grace,’ he will reply. ‘because I married two sisters during [both] their lifetimes, whereas the Torah was destined to forbid them to me.

Then Moses will be asked, ‘Take it and say Grace.’ ‘I cannot say Grace, because I was not privileged to enter Eretz Yisrael either in life or in death.’

Then Joshua willbe asked: ‘Take it and say Grace.’ ‘I cannot say Grace,’ he will reply, ‘because I was not privileged to have a son,’ for it is written, “Joshua the son of Nun;”(Numbers 14:38) “Nun his son, Joshua his son.” ( Chronicles I 7:27)

Then David will be asked: ‘Take it and say Grace.’ ‘I will say Grace, and it is fitting for me to say Grace,’ he will reply, as it is said, “I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”

The Talmud is describing the great banquet for the righteous on the day “He manifests His love” for Israel. Elul, the month of manifest love, is the period of this great feast and celebration. It is during this entire month that King David accepts the Cup of Grace and sings with us, “I will lift up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”